Pilot Vanishing Point

[SaskNapolean]

Here is my review of the Pilot Vanishing Point, just copied and pasted from my blog, The Pen Haul. Enjoy!

The Pilot Vanishing Point is a pen that is talked about a lot in the fountain pen community, and for good reason. It is built like a tank, writes well, and best of all, it is retractable! Yes, there is a retractable fountain pen! This makes it not only a pen that gives you a great writing experience, but something that is super convenient as you can click it with one hand and start writing.

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1767.jpg?resize=640%2C853

This pen was on my wish list since almost the beginning of my fountain pen hobby, but since it is quite an investment ($140 USD), I held off buying it. My fiancé then began to hint that she wanted to get me a pen for Christmas, so I wrote out a wish list of pens that I would have liked so she could surprise me a little. This pen was obviously on that list, but with 3 stars beside it as that would be the one if it was a list of one. Guess what happened? I got my very own Pilot Vanishing Point on Christmas morning! http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png?w=640

The Look

The stealth matte black finish with the black nib caught my eye from the moment that I seen it. It is sleek, so it flies under the radar. It is professional, so you can impress your clients. Most importantly, it looks awesome so you feel good about using it.

What makes this pen sleek? In this particular example, the stealth black finish really helps in keeping it quiet, but even the brightest of VP’s (Vanishing Points) can stay discrete too. It can do this because it kind of looks like a ballpoint since it is retractable and has a small hooded nib. When the nib is out and writing, you can barely notice it unlike a large shiny nib such as on the Pelikan M1000.

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1780.jpg?resize=640%2C853

Where did the pen go?

Why does it matter if your pen is discrete and doesn’t look like a fountain pen? For one, it draws less attention to pen thieves. This would be more of an issue at school than at work in my experiences as co-workers should (should being the key word) have the respect to not touch your fancy pens, or at least to not steal it. I am not saying that this doesn’t happen, but if you leave your nice pen (or any pen) unattended at school, there is a higher chance that someone nearby will have sticky fingers. Secondly, not everyone wants to flaunt their high quality writing instruments around for everyone to see, myself included. I do not want to draw attention to my pen during an office meeting or when I am with a client. I just want to focus on the topic at hand and have tools that works. This is where the Pilot Vanishing Point comes into play.

If you have any experience with pens, cheap or otherwise, you probably think that the clip is either on the cap or on the back of the pen (same side as the clicker). That is not the case with the VP. The clip is actually on the part of the pen that you hold while you write. It may look like it would be impossible to get used to, but I actually like it as 1) it doesn’t get in the way for me, and 2) it guides my fingers to hold the pen the right way so I can start writing without even looking at which way the nib is facing.

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1774.jpg?resize=640%2C853

To see if you would be able to get over this weird clip placement, grab any pen around you that has a clip (I chose the Pilot Metropolitan), and grip it with the clip in between your fingers and pretend to write. If you hold your pen like I do, you should see that you will not have a problem. If you find it uncomfortable, this is either not the pen for you, or you may want to try another grip (for this pen at least).

Writing Experience

There have already been many reviews written on the Pilot VP (Ed Jelly, The Pen Addict, The Pen Habit, Modern Stationer to name a few), all of which have gone on to rave about how great this pen is and how smooth it writes. I do not disagree one bit! This pen is fantastic. I ended up getting the medium nib which is actually almost perfect for me and how I use the pen. I have grown to lean towards wider nibs and away from finer ones as I progress through this hobby, otherwise I would have wanted a fine nib. Maybe if I ever get a second VP (slight possibility), I will go for the fine nib so it will be more practical on the cheap paper I use at work.

http://i2.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Vanishing-Point-with-PR-Ebony-Blue.jpg?resize=640%2C640

Is this pen as smooth as everyone says it is? Well that depends on which ink I use. So far I have used 6 different inks in this pen and all but one have worked perfectly and wrote nice and smooth. That one outlier was Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium, which was super dry and did not cooperate with the pen one bit. It was one of the first ink that I tried in it, so I was quite disappointed at first that my super nice pen did not write nicely, but as soon as I swapped it out with Private Reserve Ebony Blue, I was hooked (another reason why I love that ink).

For the curious, the other inks that I have used in this pen are Private Reserve Sonic Blue, J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche, Lamy Green, and De Atramentis Charles Dickens. All of these have performed awesome in this pen.

The nib is made from 18kt gold, which helps with that smooth writing experience that everyone talks about. The gold itself doesn’t give you the smooth writing experience directly, but it acts as a shock absorber. It also results in a little bit of softness in the nib, which can give you some slight line variation. It is by no means a flex nib, but it has enough give to make your handwriting a little more expressive if you have a heavy hand.**

http://i2.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/VP-with-PR-EB-1024x1024.jpg?resize=640%2C640

**Do not try to use this as a flex pen as I am just sharing my experience with the pen. I do not take any responsibility for damaged nibs if you decide to do so.

Usability

The main feature that sets this pen apart from every other pen on the market is the fact that it is retractable. This is a big deal because so many people need the ability to reach for a pen with one hand and just use it. This is the perfect pen for that while still allowing you to use a fountain pen in these situations. When I am on the phone with a client, I need to be able to make quick notes. If it wasn’t for this pen, I would have to compromise (in my eyes) and use a retractable ballpoint or gel pen, but now the pen geek in me gets to use my favourite form of writing in more situations!

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/VP-with-Homework.jpg?resize=640%2C853

It is also a tank. The body is all metal, so it can definitely take a beating if needed. There have been reports of the matte black finish scuffing easily, but I have not had any personal experiences so far. This is possibly because it has been in it’s very own Aston Leather pen sleeve since the day I got it and have babied it a tad. Although the body of the pen is metal and would survive a fall without any problem, you still run the risk of it landing on the clicker, extending the nib, and it having it land on the nib. I don’t recommend dropping any pen, but I would be more cautious with this pen than one with a cap.

http://i1.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1779.jpg?resize=640%2C853

For those of you who use the clip for it’s intended purpose of clipping it on to things, this clip is pretty tight. I have read one account of it bending out of place easily, but that doesn’t seem to be a common theme as I haven’t come across the issue on Reddit where these type of problems with other pens are posted frequently.

The strange positioning of the clip also gives you that guide to be able to write with the nib in the proper direction without even looking at it. For those of you with a Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star, it feels somewhat similar to the tri-pod grip in the sense that it shows you where you should grip the pen. I find it extremely helpful, but I respect the fact that it is not for everybody.

“Problems”

I put problems in quotations because most of these “problems” are just personal preferences, irks, or are easily overcome.

First, it is fairly expensive. At $140 USD, it needs to be the pen that suites you to justify spending that kind of money on it. It is easy to grab both a fine and medium nib Metro since they are only $15, but at this price you need to think twice before pulling the trigger. Yes you can buy separate nib units, but they will still run you more than an entry level pen. A common question I see is “where can I find a poor man’s Vanishing Point?” Unfortunately Pilot has complete control over this portion of the market at this price point (Lamy Dialogue 3 is retractable, but more twice the price), but if you browse Ebay long enough, you may be able to find a steel nib option which usually go for a cheaper price.

The positive thing about this price is that you most definitely get your money’s worth. Gold nib? Check. Solid, great looking body? Check. Unique factor? Check. Reliability? Check. There are pens in this price range that gives you none of these, so if you are looking for a next level pen, you should consider this one.

This next one is more of an irk for me personally and does not affect the performance of the pen, but it is something that should not have happened in the first place. When I look that the nib head on while the nib is out, I can see that it is not straight, but rather rotated inside the barrel. I am not the only one that this has happened to either, so it is definitely a lapse in quality control. Luckily it doesn’t impact writing performance too much (you may have to rotate it the smallest amount in your hand), so I just dealt with it. So hopefully this was just one bad batch from the manufacturer and the rest are fine. If this would really bother you too, I would just add a note to any order you make for them to check the nib to see if it is straight.

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1781.jpg?resize=640%2C434

Sorry for the crappy photo

This next point is just a preference on my part, but the Pilot convertors have quite a small ink capacity. Mine came with a Con-50, which has the smallest capacity of the lot, but you can at least see the ink level. The Con-20 also fits and gives you a tiny bit more capacity, but it is a squeeze convertor so you can’t see how much ink you have left. The Con-70 is the largest Pilot convertor, but unfortunately it does not fit in the Vanishing Point. If you are looking at a pen in this price point and ink capacity is important to you, I would consider it’s counterpart, the Lamy 2000.

I mentioned earlier that I had some troubles with Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium in this pen. This leads me to the conclusion that my VP is a dry writer. For me, this just means I can’t use certain ink, such as Liberty’s Elysium, so it is not that big of a deal since I have plenty of wet inks that can be used. For those of you with a small collection of ink, perhaps only one bottle, you may want to either test the pen out before buying or have the dealer test it for you (if they would be willing to). I also know that mine might be in the minority as I have only heard good things about the VP’s performance elsewhere.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a solid bodied, unique looking, good writing, convenient fountain pen, this is the pen for you. As soon as you get over the location of the clip and the decently small ink capacity, you will fall in love with it. It was my first venture into pens over $100 (granted I got it as a gift) and it has been an overall positive experience.

http://i2.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1778.jpg?resize=640%2C853

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or send me an email!

Thanks for reading!!

[visvamitra]

Thank you for in-depth review. To be honest I can't start liking this pen.

[Invictus Maneo]

I am awaiting the delivery of my first VP. I was looking for a fountain pen that would be usable at work as taking a cap off and on would not be practical. I'm also planning on filling it with Noodler's X-Feather in the hopes that this will allow me to use a fountain pen at work and not have feathering and bleed through issues.

Thank you so much for your in-depth review! After reading it I feel very confident that I have made the right choice for a work pen!

[onetwothree]

Great review.

For a long time the vanishing point made it to my every day carry set (2-3 pens). Its comfortable, very reliable without any startup issues ever (a reasonable concern since its not very clear how tight the seal is when the nib is retracted). Now a days i carry it less often, i find it to be on the heavy and large side to put it on my shirt pocket alongside other pens. In addition, since the ink capacity is tiny and there is no ink window you never know when its about to run out (to be fair my medium sized nib can last a nib with moderate daily usage) so i always found myself putting 2 or 3 pens on my pockets which was too much considering the vanishing point along weights as much as 2 large pens!

I still love it, and would recommend it to anyone that wants a reliable fast writer though now a days i find myself using a set of 2 pens one of which is a pilot e95s which is kind of tiny but great to carry clipped on a shirt!.

[SaskNapolean]

Thank you for in-depth review. To be honest I can't start liking this pen.

 

This pen is almost like an acquired taste.

 

I am awaiting the delivery of my first VP. I was looking for a fountain pen that would be usable at work as taking a cap off and on would not be practical. I'm also planning on filling it with Noodler's X-Feather in the hopes that this will allow me to use a fountain pen at work and not have feathering and bleed through issues.

Thank you so much for your in-depth review! After reading it I feel very confident that I have made the right choice for a work pen!

 

I'm glad I could help! Although I have never used X-Feather, I have read that it is a slower drying ink, but if you are just using office paper, it should do the trick for you.

 

Great review.

For a long time the vanishing point made it to my every day carry set (2-3 pens). Its comfortable, very reliable without any startup issues ever (a reasonable concern since its not very clear how tight the seal is when the nib is retracted). Now a days i carry it less often, i find it to be on the heavy and large side to put it on my shirt pocket alongside other pens. In addition, since the ink capacity is tiny and there is no ink window you never know when its about to run out (to be fair my medium sized nib can last a nib with moderate daily usage) so i always found myself putting 2 or 3 pens on my pockets which was too much considering the vanishing point along weights as much as 2 large pens!

I still love it, and would recommend it to anyone that wants a reliable fast writer though now a days i find myself using a set of 2 pens one of which is a pilot e95s which is kind of tiny but great to carry clipped on a shirt!.

 

I am impressed with how well the pen stays sealed too. No drying out issues to date. It is definitely heavy, but that is something that I like about the pen. If I am just at my desk all day, I usually have about 6 or 7 other pens in my drawer ready to go at any given moment, so the ink capacity is only a concern when I am out in meetings all day or something!

[DaveBj]

^{Thanks for your thoughtful, detailed review. I'm think of busting the $100 barrier for the first time this year for Christmas, and the VP is on my list of possibles (along with the L2k and one of the Sailor 1911s), but I have a very unusual grip, and unless I go for an online retailer with a no-questions-asked return/refund policy, it's going to have to be a try-before-I-buy proposition.}

[Lebrac]

Great review. I've been using one for a few years and it is a good match with J Herbin Perle noire ink and a broad nib. My two cents.

[2brothers]

Awesome review! Thank you! How's the weather in Saskabush?

 

 

FYI, Pilot does make a "poor man's VP" that uses a steel nib. You'll find more results by searching "pilot Capless"

 

$68 USD at J-subculture.

 

http://shop.j-subculture.com/items/detail/DE52ABD06A1E12E

 

I bought my all black VP (same as yours) from their site. Great service.

 

Can't vouch for the VP steel nib as I've never tried it but every other pilot steel nib I've had is a great performer.

Edited November 10, 2015 by 2brothers

[ScienceChick]

I, too, found the VP too heavy for me so I got a Decimo. All the benefits of a VP just more slender and lighter. Mine came with an 18K nib, I've read that steel nibs are available, too.

 

Great review.

[Tasmith]

I, too, found the VP too heavy for me so I got a Decimo. All the benefits of a VP just more slender and lighter.

Same here. Being thinner, I find the Decimo much more comfortable to use too.

[proton007]

I have the Fermo.

 

For some reason I find it's rather heavy, and if you're writing cursive, it gets tiring pretty quickly.

 

Sometimes I think the VP line of pens suits a writing style similar to Japanese, that is separate characters and not a continuous flowing hand.

Edited November 17, 2015 by proton007

[Cushy Butterfield]

Sometimes I think the VP line of pens suits a writing style similar to Japanese, that is separate characters and not a continuous flowing hand.

 

I have the Decimo (well actually three, a fine, a medium and a broad) and since I got my first one have rarely used anything else, including my previous favourite, Waterman Laureat. I write a (sort of) italic and have had no issues.

 

Edit: also no issues with weight. Suits me fine.

Edited November 17, 2015 by Cushy Butterfield

[SaskNapolean]

^{Thanks for your thoughtful, detailed review. I'm think of busting the $100 barrier for the first time this year for Christmas, and the VP is on my list of possibles (along with the L2k and one of the Sailor 1911s), but I have a very unusual grip, and unless I go for an online retailer with a no-questions-asked return/refund policy, it's going to have to be a try-before-I-buy proposition.}

 

Do you have any local pen shops near you to try it out? To get an idea of how it would feel, grab one of your pens and pretend to write with it with the cap on and the clip in the same position as the VP. If that feels too weird, it probably won't be the pen for you. I like my Lamy 2000, but I have never used a Sailor so I can't comment on them. People say they are good though!

[SaskNapolean]

Great review. I've been using one for a few years and it is a good match with J Herbin Perle noire ink and a broad nib. My two cents.

 

I've been considering using black in it (Pilot cartridge or Noodler's Raven Black), but I am afraid that I won't use it as much since I don't really use black ink. Any colour that I toss in there seems to be a pretty nice contrast.

[SaskNapolean]

Awesome review! Thank you! How's the weather in Saskabush?

 

 

FYI, Pilot does make a "poor man's VP" that uses a steel nib. You'll find more results by searching "pilot Capless"

 

$68 USD at J-subculture.

 

http://shop.j-subculture.com/items/detail/DE52ABD06A1E12E

 

I bought my all black VP (same as yours) from their site. Great service.

 

Can't vouch for the VP steel nib as I've never tried it but every other pilot steel nib I've had is a great performer.

 

It's starting to get cold!!! but we usually have a bunch of snow by now so I can't complain!

 

I've been wondering what I have to search to find the steel nib VPs. That would be an easier sell to the fiance than buying a second 18k one, especially with this Canadian exchange rate! I would bet that the steel nib would be a good writer too. I guess there is only one way to find out!

I, too, found the VP too heavy for me so I got a Decimo. All the benefits of a VP just more slender and lighter. Mine came with an 18K nib, I've read that steel nibs are available, too.

 

Great review.

 

Thanks! I like heavy pens, but that is just a personal preference. I don't do tons of long hand anymore, other than letters I suppose, but my VP is mainly used for quick notes at the office so it is perfect for me!

[DaveBj]

 

Do you have any local pen shops near you to try it out? To get an idea of how it would feel, grab one of your pens and pretend to write with it with the cap on and the clip in the same position as the VP. If that feels too weird, it probably won't be the pen for you. I like my Lamy 2000, but I have never used a Sailor so I can't comment on them. People say they are good though!

 

I live in rural north-central Alabama. There might be a shop in Birmingham or Huntsville, but I don't know of any off the top of my head. I have tried what you suggested. I can find a comfort zone, but that doesn't show how the nib would be oriented to the paper.

 

I'm patient; I can wait until I run across one in person. I could order one from the Goulets and return it if I don't like the grip, but I really don't want to do that.

[Sergio 46]

 

Here is my review of the Pilot Vanishing Point, just copied and pasted from my blog, The Pen Haul. Enjoy!

The Pilot Vanishing Point is a pen that is talked about a lot in the fountain pen community, and for good reason. It is built like a tank, writes well, and best of all, it is retractable! Yes, there is a retractable fountain pen! This makes it not only a pen that gives you a great writing experience, but something that is super convenient as you can click it with one hand and start writing.

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1767.jpg?resize=640%2C853

This pen was on my wish list since almost the beginning of my fountain pen hobby, but since it is quite an investment ($140 USD), I held off buying it. My fiancé then began to hint that she wanted to get me a pen for Christmas, so I wrote out a wish list of pens that I would have liked so she could surprise me a little. This pen was obviously on that list, but with 3 stars beside it as that would be the one if it was a list of one. Guess what happened? I got my very own Pilot Vanishing Point on Christmas morning! http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png?w=640

The Look

The stealth matte black finish with the black nib caught my eye from the moment that I seen it. It is sleek, so it flies under the radar. It is professional, so you can impress your clients. Most importantly, it looks awesome so you feel good about using it.

What makes this pen sleek? In this particular example, the stealth black finish really helps in keeping it quiet, but even the brightest of VP’s (Vanishing Points) can stay discrete too. It can do this because it kind of looks like a ballpoint since it is retractable and has a small hooded nib. When the nib is out and writing, you can barely notice it unlike a large shiny nib such as on the Pelikan M1000.

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1780.jpg?resize=640%2C853

Where did the pen go?

Why does it matter if your pen is discrete and doesn’t look like a fountain pen? For one, it draws less attention to pen thieves. This would be more of an issue at school than at work in my experiences as co-workers should (should being the key word) have the respect to not touch your fancy pens, or at least to not steal it. I am not saying that this doesn’t happen, but if you leave your nice pen (or any pen) unattended at school, there is a higher chance that someone nearby will have sticky fingers. Secondly, not everyone wants to flaunt their high quality writing instruments around for everyone to see, myself included. I do not want to draw attention to my pen during an office meeting or when I am with a client. I just want to focus on the topic at hand and have tools that works. This is where the Pilot Vanishing Point comes into play.

If you have any experience with pens, cheap or otherwise, you probably think that the clip is either on the cap or on the back of the pen (same side as the clicker). That is not the case with the VP. The clip is actually on the part of the pen that you hold while you write. It may look like it would be impossible to get used to, but I actually like it as 1) it doesn’t get in the way for me, and 2) it guides my fingers to hold the pen the right way so I can start writing without even looking at which way the nib is facing.

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1774.jpg?resize=640%2C853

To see if you would be able to get over this weird clip placement, grab any pen around you that has a clip (I chose the Pilot Metropolitan), and grip it with the clip in between your fingers and pretend to write. If you hold your pen like I do, you should see that you will not have a problem. If you find it uncomfortable, this is either not the pen for you, or you may want to try another grip (for this pen at least).

Writing Experience

There have already been many reviews written on the Pilot VP (Ed Jelly, The Pen Addict, The Pen Habit, Modern Stationer to name a few), all of which have gone on to rave about how great this pen is and how smooth it writes. I do not disagree one bit! This pen is fantastic. I ended up getting the medium nib which is actually almost perfect for me and how I use the pen. I have grown to lean towards wider nibs and away from finer ones as I progress through this hobby, otherwise I would have wanted a fine nib. Maybe if I ever get a second VP (slight possibility), I will go for the fine nib so it will be more practical on the cheap paper I use at work.

http://i2.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Vanishing-Point-with-PR-Ebony-Blue.jpg?resize=640%2C640

Is this pen as smooth as everyone says it is? Well that depends on which ink I use. So far I have used 6 different inks in this pen and all but one have worked perfectly and wrote nice and smooth. That one outlier was Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium, which was super dry and did not cooperate with the pen one bit. It was one of the first ink that I tried in it, so I was quite disappointed at first that my super nice pen did not write nicely, but as soon as I swapped it out with Private Reserve Ebony Blue, I was hooked (another reason why I love that ink).

For the curious, the other inks that I have used in this pen are Private Reserve Sonic Blue, J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche, Lamy Green, and De Atramentis Charles Dickens. All of these have performed awesome in this pen.

The nib is made from 18kt gold, which helps with that smooth writing experience that everyone talks about. The gold itself doesn’t give you the smooth writing experience directly, but it acts as a shock absorber. It also results in a little bit of softness in the nib, which can give you some slight line variation. It is by no means a flex nib, but it has enough give to make your handwriting a little more expressive if you have a heavy hand.**

http://i2.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/VP-with-PR-EB-1024x1024.jpg?resize=640%2C640

**Do not try to use this as a flex pen as I am just sharing my experience with the pen. I do not take any responsibility for damaged nibs if you decide to do so.

Usability

The main feature that sets this pen apart from every other pen on the market is the fact that it is retractable. This is a big deal because so many people need the ability to reach for a pen with one hand and just use it. This is the perfect pen for that while still allowing you to use a fountain pen in these situations. When I am on the phone with a client, I need to be able to make quick notes. If it wasn’t for this pen, I would have to compromise (in my eyes) and use a retractable ballpoint or gel pen, but now the pen geek in me gets to use my favourite form of writing in more situations!

http://i0.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/VP-with-Homework.jpg?resize=640%2C853

It is also a tank. The body is all metal, so it can definitely take a beating if needed. There have been reports of the matte black finish scuffing easily, but I have not had any personal experiences so far. This is possibly because it has been in it’s very own Aston Leather pen sleeve since the day I got it and have babied it a tad. Although the body of the pen is metal and would survive a fall without any problem, you still run the risk of it landing on the clicker, extending the nib, and it having it land on the nib. I don’t recommend dropping any pen, but I would be more cautious with this pen than one with a cap.

http://i1.wp.com/www.thepenhaul.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/IMG_1779.jpg?resize=640%2C853

For those of you who use the clip for it’s intended purpose of clipping it on to things, this clip is pretty tight. I have read one account of it bending out of place easily, but that doesn’t seem to be a common theme as I haven’t come across the issue on Reddit where these type of problems with other pens are posted frequently.

The strange positioning of the clip also gives you that guide to be able to write with the nib in the proper direction without even looking at it. For those of you with a Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star, it feels somewhat similar to the tri-pod grip in the sense that it shows you where you should grip the pen. I find it extremely helpful, but I respect the fact that it is not for everybody.

“Problems”

I put problems in quotations because most of these “problems” are just personal preferences, irks, or are easily overcome.

First, it is fairly expensive. At $140 USD, it needs to be the pen that suites you to justify spending that kind of money on it. It is easy to grab both a fine and medium nib Metro since they are only $15, but at this price you need to think twice before pulling the trigger. Yes you can buy separate nib units, but they will still run you more than an entry level pen. A common question I see is “where can I find a poor man’s Vanishing Point?” Unfortunately Pilot has complete control over this portion of the market at this price point (Lamy Dialogue 3 is retractable, but more twice the price), but if you browse Ebay long enough, you may be able to find a steel nib option which usually go for a cheaper price.

The positive thing about this price is that you most definitely get your money’s worth. Gold nib? Check. Solid, great looking body? Check. Unique factor? Check. Reliability? Check. There are pens in this price range that gives you none of these, so if you are looking for a next level pen, you should consider this one.

This next one is more of an irk for me personally and does not affect the performance of the pen, but it is something that should not have happened in the first place. When I look that the nib head on while the nib is out, I can see that it is not straight, but rather rotated inside the barrel. I am not the only one that this has happened to either, so it is definitely a lapse in quality control. Luckily it doesn’t impact writing performance too much (you may have to rotate it the smallest amount in your hand), so I just dealt with it. So hopefully this was just one bad batch from the manufacturer and the rest are fine. If this would really bother you too, I would just add a note to any order you make for them to check the nib to see if it is straight.

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Sorry for the crappy photo

This next point is just a preference on my part, but the Pilot convertors have quite a small ink capacity. Mine came with a Con-50, which has the smallest capacity of the lot, but you can at least see the ink level. The Con-20 also fits and gives you a tiny bit more capacity, but it is a squeeze convertor so you can’t see how much ink you have left. The Con-70 is the largest Pilot convertor, but unfortunately it does not fit in the Vanishing Point. If you are looking at a pen in this price point and ink capacity is important to you, I would consider it’s counterpart, the Lamy 2000.

I mentioned earlier that I had some troubles with Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium in this pen. This leads me to the conclusion that my VP is a dry writer. For me, this just means I can’t use certain ink, such as Liberty’s Elysium, so it is not that big of a deal since I have plenty of wet inks that can be used. For those of you with a small collection of ink, perhaps only one bottle, you may want to either test the pen out before buying or have the dealer test it for you (if they would be willing to). I also know that mine might be in the minority as I have only heard good things about the VP’s performance elsewhere.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a solid bodied, unique looking, good writing, convenient fountain pen, this is the pen for you. As soon as you get over the location of the clip and the decently small ink capacity, you will fall in love with it. It was my first venture into pens over $100 (granted I got it as a gift) and it has been an overall positive experience.

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If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to comment or send me an email!

Thanks for reading!!

 

Great review .

I have the same matte black in EF and with it I started , one year ago, collecting fountain pens, first japanese , then german with Pelikan, Lamy, and Diplomat, an excellent but not well known brand.

In fact, this second quality FP gave me the pleasure of owning nice and performing fountain pens, because I had before only a Montblanc 149, bought more than 40 years ago, when I got my first job.

[Vipersdad]

Interesting reviews. I visited my son last week and he handed me a VP Twilight. He bought two. One for him and one for me. Sweet!

[SaskNapolean]

 

I live in rural north-central Alabama. There might be a shop in Birmingham or Huntsville, but I don't know of any off the top of my head. I have tried what you suggested. I can find a comfort zone, but that doesn't show how the nib would be oriented to the paper.

 

I'm patient; I can wait until I run across one in person. I could order one from the Goulets and return it if I don't like the grip, but I really don't want to do that.

 

I never thought about the nib positioning, good point! Trying one out is definitely the best way to see if it is for you.

[SaskNapolean]

Interesting reviews. I visited my son last week and he handed me a VP Twilight. He bought two. One for him and one for me. Sweet!

 

Awesome! Those are nice looking pens.